Radiology technicians, also known as x-ray technicians, radiologic technologists or radiographers, specialize in computed and x-ray tomography imaging and perform diagnostic imaging examinations. A radiology technician working in the US will earn about $42,190, less than one working in Australia (AU$67,111 or US$50,715), or New Zealand (NZ$65,000 US$45,363). The US is only followed by the UK with £28,462 (US$35,433) per year, Canada with C$67,000 (US$49,871), South Africa with R227,983 (US$16,540), and India with R227,983 (US$16,540) per year.

Factors that Influence the Radiology Technician Salary

As with most jobs in the medical sector, a radiology technician salary can vary from state to state, from industry to industry depending on the employee’s level of experience. In the United States, the average salaries for radiologic technicians can be around $55,000, although they are influenced by many factors.

1. Geographic Area

Radiology Technician Salary in the US

According to bls.gov, health technologists and technicians (including radiology technicians) earn on average $42,190 per year. The starting salary for a radiology technician in the US is around $35,000. Experienced professionals, on the other hand, can reach a salary of $81,660 or more.

Nevertheless, only 11% of the professionals currently working in this field have more than 20 years on the job. In fact, more than half of the x-ray technicians in the US have 5 years of experience or less. About 30% of the radiology technicians have no type of health benefit with their job.

Of course, the geographical location of the job also decides the salary for radiology technicians. Some states will pay more than others, and other states will offer more jobs. Therefore, it can be difficult to find a job in an area that is hiring and pays particularly well.

Highest Levels of Employment for Radiology Technicians in the US

The following are the states with the highest level of employment in the country:

State

Employment

Employment per thousand jobs

Location quotient

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

California

16,540

1.07

0.75

$36.57

$76,070

Texas

15,570

1.35

0.95

$26.72

$55,580

New York

13,310

1.48

1.04

$32.03

$66,620

Florida

12,810

1.62

1.14

$24.86

$51,710

Pennsylvania

10,390

1.82

1.28

$27.01

$56,170

Highest Radiology Technician Salaries in the US

You’ll notice that other than the state of California, the states that are actually hiring do not correspond with those paying the highest radiologic technician salary. The highest-paying states are as follows:

State

Employment

Employment per thousand jobs

Location quotient

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

California

16,540

1.07

0.75

$36.57

$76,070

District of Columbia

530

0.79

0.55

$36.01

$74,910

Massachusetts

4,380

1.29

0.91

$34.51

$71,790

Alaska

460

1.42

1.00

$33.59

$69,870

Hawaii

660

1.07

0.75

$33.22

$69,100

Radiology Technician Salary in Canada

The radiology technician salary in Canada averages at C$56,550 per year, or US$42,129 yearly. A beginner in this field can start off at about C$31,443, or a little under US$23,500; they will reach the national average in 5 to 10 years. Nevertheless, if one chooses to stay in this field for more than 10 to 15 years, they will take home around C$71,517 (US$53,294).

Among all the radiology technicians currently working in the US, about 67% have medical, dental, and vision insurance; the other 33% don’t have any type of health benefits with their job.

The same source estimates yearly incomes for professionals with 3-8 years of experience to earn between £19,634 (US24,434) and £35,746 (US$44,460). After 10 years on the job or more, an x-ray technician can expect to reach an annual salary of £40,097, or just a little under US$50,000 (US$49,907, to be precise). Radiology technicians working in the healthcare system usually earns between £21,187 (US$26,352) and £39,967 (US$49,710).

Radiology Technician Salary in Australia

As mentioned before, the salary of a radiology technician in Australia is set at AU$67,111, or US$50,715. However, a professional with less than 5 years of experience in this field will earn about AU$40,617 (US$30,674), while one with more than 15 years behind will take home about AU$89,323, or US$67,421.

In addition, overtime will be compensated with anywhere between AU$37.18 (US$28) to AU$79.46 (US$60) per hour. Considering the average hourly pay for this profession is AU$32.26 (US$24.38), it’s understandable why many choose to work overtime.

Experienced professionals working in India for more than 15 years can expect salaries of up to Rs442,000, or US$6,803 per year. In addition, bonuses can account for an extra Rs9,000 or US$138 per year. Nevertheless, most of the radiology technicians in India (65%) have less than 5 years of experience.

As for the benefits, more than half of the professionals working in India (64%) have medical insurance, 7% have dental and vision, and 36% have no type of health benefit with their job.

Radiology Technician Salary in South Africa

Even though there is no information available about the radiology technician in South Africa, we can take the radiology technologist salary as a reference. Therefore, a radiology technician earns R227,983 (US$16,642) on average.

The starting salary for a radiology technologist in South Africa is ZAR143,503, or US$10,493. In time, an experienced professional will get to take home ZAR314,913 (US$23,020). In addition, bonuses can account for another R3,103 – R19,858 (US$227 – US$1,452) to their yearly incomes.

Cape Town-based radiology technologists usually earn more than their colleagues, between ZAR140,532 (US$10,285) to ZAR353,915 (US$25,944). The second-best salaries for radiology technologists in South Africa are found in Durban, where they range between R171,488 (US$12,573) to R302,017 (US$22,144). They’re closely followed by Johannesburg at R144,000 (US$10,539) to R280,000 (US$20,525).

2. Experience

Experience doesn’t affect the salary of a radiology technician all that much throughout a country. Sure, raises can be offered at any point by a benevolent employer, but they are seldom guaranteed. The highest salary increase for the position, reported in 2013, was limited to $15,000 for the US.

3. Industry

Of course, the industry which an aspiring radiological technologist calls the starting point of their career also plays a big part in their future career path and in their salary. In fact, the geographical location has a smaller influence on the radiology technician salary than the industry in which they start working.

Highest Employment Levels in the US

The industries with the highest levels of employment in the United States are as follows:

Industry

Employment

Percent of industry employment

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

114,120

2.16

$28.76

$59,820

Offices of Physicians

41,840

1.67

$26.10

$54,290

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories

15,830

6.21

$27.80

$57,830

Outpatient Care Centers

9,240

1.25

$29.09

$60,510

Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)

5,080

0.26

$29.37

$61,100

Highest Employment Concentration in the US

And while the levels of employment in the occupation are very important and relevant to the decision of starting a new job and getting a radiology technician salary, the levels of employment concentration in the industry are also relevant to the possibility of getting hired. So, the highest employment concentration is as follows:

Industry

Employment

Percent of industry employment

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories

15,830

6.21

$27.80

$57,830

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

114,120

2.16

$28.76

$59,820

Offices of Physicians

41,840

1.67

$26.10

$54,290

Outpatient Care Centers

9,240

1.25

$29.09

$60,510

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals

2,360

0.95

$31.43

$65,370

Highest Paying Industries in the US

But of course, it’s moot to find out how good one’s chances of employment are if the radiology technician salary is not worth the effort. To help you with that, here is a list of the five industries that pay their radiology technicians the most in the United States:

Industry

Employment

Percent of industry employment

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing

50

0.04

$35.27

$73,360

Management of Companies and Enterprises

250

0.01

$32.06

$66,680

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals

2,360

0.95

$31.43

$65,370

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools

1,290

0.04

$30.93

$64,330

Scientific Research and Development Services

120

0.02

$30.72

$63,890

Working Hours

According to a study performed in Boston, NY, in 2013, the average full-time radiology technician works 40-hour work weeks. Back then, it was rare for their work weeks to vary too much or for them to get the opportunity to get paid extra.

According to more recent reports, however, radiology technologists could have on-call, evening, or weekend hours on the job. This greatly increases their chances of performing overtime and earning more money. More opportunities for shifts and part-time jobs have also been popping up in recent years. Of course, the working hours also vary after each country’s legislation and healthcare system.

Bonuses and Benefit Packages

Because of the mediocre pay in most English-speaking countries, a radiology technician salary often ends up being not nearly enough incentive to keep an employee interested for too long. This is why there are usually plenty of opportunities and incentives meant to keep them onboard. Below, you will find a list of some of these benefits.

Sign-on bonuses are usually in the $5,000 area for US-based professionals

There are countless opportunities for specialization and switching fields

The job is anything but boring

Health, dental, and life insurances are granted most of the times

The retirement contribution is rather significant

There are many opportunities for cross-training

Job Outlook

While the job is certainly not underpaid, with the average salary being well over the minimum wage, some might consider the risks not being worth the reward. However, the benefits and opportunities of switching fields and jobs are certainly worth it on the long run.

There is a 9% percent growth in employment in the field predicted to take place by 2024, therefore paying the time and money for the associate’s or bachelor’s degree in radiology and trade school diploma necessary for the job is a very sound investment.

One can easily switch up their job description from a technician performing CT scans to dealing with ultrasound or MRI devices. This is known as cross-training. Overall, even if the radiology technician salary might seem small to some, all the associated benefits and job outlook might determine no small number of aspiring employees to start looking for jobs in the field.

Conclusion

Even though the radiology technician salary is above average in some English-speaking countries like the UK, New Zealand, or India, some others offer salary packages that are below the national average for their country. Nevertheless, there are plenty of career opportunities that come with this job for those who are willing to invest time and finances into their education. If you are interested in the medical tech field, you can also check out our article on the ultrasound tech salary.